


Weeping Softly

by SansyFresh



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: 3 months later, Angst, Anxiety, Blue is Tired, Breakup AU, CherryBlossom, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Hate Sex, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Haphephobia, Hurt/Comfort, LV Issues, M/M, Over Intensive Cleaning, Red is done really, Skippable smut scenes, Spicyhoney - Freeform, Stick a fork in him, Things arent as they seem, idk ill add more tags later, time skip
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2020-08-10 15:43:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20137924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SansyFresh/pseuds/SansyFresh
Summary: Edge and Stretch breakup over some issues they're both dealing with.Question is, can they work through those issues long enough to see that they still love each other?





	1. Guess What Honey Bunches of Oats - Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> this was something im starting on a whim (meaning that if you want it to continue come talk to me on my twitter @fresh_writes)
> 
> but yeah, Angst for the Spicyhoney gods  
also this first chapter is from Red's POV, but that's not going to last, sorry if that bothers anyone.  
also also the fic is marked Explicit but the smut will be skippable, promise
> 
> enjoy ;)

When Red left his room, the overwhelming smell of bleach made his sockets water, a cough forced from his chest even as he tried to pinpoint where the smell was coming from. Taking the steps downstairs two at a time, he gazed around the living room with a critical eye, ready to tell his brother to tone it down a little, only to find that the living room was cleaner than he’d ever seen it. The sleek surfaces shone with a polish, everything vacuumed and swept until there wasn’t a speck of dirt anywhere.

Well, his bro wasn’t in the living room, so the only other spot he could be was the kitchen. Wary of stepping onto the immaculate carpet in the living room, Red ported straight to the doorway, sockets widening, then narrowing as they settled on his brother.

Edge was on his hands and knees, scrubbing the already spotless floor with a bucket beside him of noxious smelling liquid. He appeared to be staring at the floor with vengeance in his eyes, which was really only the 14th sign that something was seriously wrong.

Testing the waters, Red cleared his throat, though his shortcut to the doorway would have been heard. It was always better to check, when Edge was in a mood like this. “”Ey bro, what’d the floor do?”

The fact that Edge didn’t sneer, jeer, or otherwise comment made Red’s worry levels skyrocket. Really only one person could have done anything to put his bro in this kinda mood, and Red was really hoping it wasn’t him.

“So what’d the honeybun do this time?”

That got a reaction, though it was a small one. Edge went from scrubbing the floor with a passion to scrubbing it with a  _ fury _ , one that had Red almost backing up a step. Yeah, that was kind of a clear answer, even if his brother hadn’t said anything out loud. Red was pretty bent out of shape over the whole thing, seeing his brother upset like this was never something he looked forward to.

Taking a shortcut back upstairs, Red fished his phone from his pocket, flipping through the contacts to the name Honey Fiend. It’d been funny at the time, but the anger sitting like a ball of hot copper in his belly made it difficult to find much humor in it now. Clicking the icon of Stretch making some kind of face, he put the phone to his head and listened for the bastard to pick up.

Stretch must have been sleeping because it took at least 12 rings for him to answer; when he did the sleepy, uncaring “‘ello?” made Red’s rage boil over.

“What’d you do to my bro.”

There was a tense silence, before Stretch answered, more volatile emotion in his voice than Red had ever heard him express.

“How about you ask that asshole what  _ he  _ did.” And with that, he hung up.

Red stared at his phone for a moment, considering throwing it against the wall until it broke, but after a long moment of breathing he get his anger back in check. Taking the steps downstairs two at a time, he headed for the front door so Edge would know he was leaving, but just before he could turn the handle Edge’s voice called out from the kitchen.

“It’s not worth it.”

Red stopped, sockets closing, before he walked with purpose to the kitchen, uncaring anymore of leaving scuffs on the brand new looking floors. Boss would appreciate it because it gave him something else to clean. 

“Okay,  _ why  _ is it not worth it ta go tear that asshole a new sacrum, Boss. Gimmie one good reason an’ I’ll stay ‘ome.”

Edge still didn’t look up at him from where he knelt in the corner of the room, but he did stop scrubbing, his arms sagging a bit. Red could see bags under his eyes, the strain in his shoulders. It made his soul roil, his LV burn, but if Edge really wanted him to stay, he would.

(If he didn’t, there would be nothing that could save Stretch.)

Staring down at the floor, Edge’s sockets closed. “We broke up. Its over. There’s nothing to worry about anymore.” And with that he began scrubbing again, the movements a bit more sedate. Red had no qualms with the knowledge that he’d come in here, hours from now, and Edge would be asleep, crumpled up where he’d last been cleaning. He’d deal with that when it came, though, for now he had information to gather. The one thing he was good at.

Heading back upstairs, but leaving his door open in case Edge shouted for him, he sat on his bed and glared down at his phone. Only one other person would be able to give him his answers, and that person might not even talk to him if he’d taken a different side in this. Red sort of already had an idea of what might have happened, but he wanted to know the details. Edge wouldn’t be beating himself into a pulp like this if nothing had happened.

Finding Blue’s contact page, he tapped the icon, waiting for the ringing to stop before a tired voice answered. “Yeah?”

Even Blue sound exhausted, which meant that he’d had a time of it as well. Red tried to remember that he cared about that.

“What happened with the honeybun and my bro?” He kept his question simple, and tried not to let his anger come through too badly. Blue still must have picked up on it since he huffed, sounding annoyed though Red couldn’t tell what at.

“Oh they’re both being stupid.”

Red couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped him, though he asked how exactly they were being stupid. Blue explained that the day or two before, Stretch had come home all in a huff, though he’d been crying. Blue had finally gotten out of him that he’d tried to tease Edge in the park by coming up behind him and jumping on his back. It was something he’d do at home, so he didn’t really understand why Edge had gone stockstill before near throwing him off. Edge had left the park immediately and had texted Stretch later that day that they were done.

Red shook his head. Of course these idiots would end up in a mess like this. Blue seemed to agree with the assessment, his voice going quiet as he told Red that he’d try to get his brother to see what it was he’d done. Red agreed, saying he’d keep an eye on Edge in the meantime.

Relaxing back on his bed as he hung up, Red stared hard at the ceiling. Well, wasn’t this a shitty pile of ass.


	2. Ready?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> damn next chapter lol sorry XD
> 
> enjoy!!

The house was silent, moonlight filtering through thick, burgundy curtains, a small fan whirring on a little table, cool air moving through the bedroom and making the blankets flap about. It was silent, at least, for all but the small whines and whimpers coming from a sweat slicked skeleton huddled under the sheets, blankets tangled in his bones. 

With a hoarse shout, he sat up in bed, Edge gripping the sheets so tightly they ripped under his fingertips. The darkness was suffocating, the blankets even more so, his legs kicking them off even as he turned to switch the bedside lamp on. The darkness receded but the nightmare didn’t, the images of his hands red with marrow, slick with blood, and the image of who it belonged to burned into his skull. 

Rubbing gently at his sockets, Edge swallowed back the tears that threatened the edges of his vision, grabbing his phone before the thought really formed in his head. Blue’s number was ringing in the next moment, the tone ringing for a few beeps before there was a click, a shuffle of noise, and an exhausted “‘ello?”

Edge swallowed. He wasn’t prepared, really, hadn’t actually expected Blue to pick up, but now that he had, he might as well ask. 

“Is Stretch safe?”

There was a thick silence, then the sound of Blue dutifully climbing out of bed and padding down the hall. Edge counted the steps as Blue made his way to his brother’s room, the click of the door opening making his grip on the phone tighten. Again, silence, before the door clicked shut and Blue headed back to his room, the shuffle of socks on carpet loud over the otherwise quiet. 

“He’s fine. Why did you call?”

Edge blinked, letting out a slow breath, before he lowered the phone and clicked to hang up. There was nothing to tell Blue, no way for him to explain that, despite the hurt in his soul, he still cared whether Stretch lived or dusted. No way to explain that if Stretch was hurt, Edge would raze the earth. 

Sighing, he scooted his legs to the side of the bed, rubbing his face with one hand as he set his phone back on the nightstand. He might as well grade papers if he was getting no more sleep tonight. With a huff he was out of bed and headed to the door.

~.~

Red eyelights looked over the class, each child who was thinking of checking their phone squirming as his attention settled on them until the impulse passed. There were another 20 minutes left of class, his students working on an unscheduled quiz he’d brought them that period. 

None of the kids were all that grateful that he was making certain they knew the material, even if they were going to ace the test, seeing as how the questions and answers were exactly the same. Edge chuckled lightly to himself, ignoring the glare he received from one of the more rowdy kids in the back. 

Before they knew it, the bell was ringing, children whooping as they gathered their books and bags and hurried from the classroom, setting their quizzes at his desk dutifully as they went. He watched them all go with a smile, before turning his attention to the two boys still sitting in their seats at the very back of the room. 

“Now, Jeremey and Richard, why are you in detention this time?”

His answer was low grumbles, though he got the gist of it from Jeremy, who grumbled “Got caught smokin’.”

Edge nodded solemnly, standing to move to the front of his desk, where he leaned back against it. “And why was that wrong?”

There was a surly silence, only broken when Edge raised a single brow. 

“Cause we’re 14. Can’t smoke until we’re 18.” Richard, or as his friends called him, Richie, mumbled.

Edge raised his other brow.

“And there’s no smokin’ at school.” Jeremy finished, gruff.

Edge nodded again, clapping his hands together and reveling in the way both boys jumped. “Alright you two, you know what detention with me means.”

A grin formed over his face as both boys groaned, but dutifully got out of their seats and started straightening up the room. He helped them, stacking chairs and turning off the computers on one side of the room, before moving them along to the ovens. He was almost positive he at least had the ingredients for muffins in his cabinets, the grin on his face growing as both kids groaned once more as he pulled out the flour and oil. 

Of course, once the muffins were cooled and detention was over, he gave them both the entire batch in plastic ziplock bags. Neither boy had an entirely excellent homelife, so he helped when he was able. Say like, making them bake muffins as a “punishment”.

His drive home was filled with silence, Edge feeling the pressing presence of loneliness pressing on him as soon as he entered the front door. He shook it off, or attempted to, cooking himself a simple dinner and watching the new episode of Master Chef before he finally relented, grabbing his phone and texting Undyne that he wanted to go out. Her reply was suspicious, but she agreed readily, meaning he wasn’t being a bother.

He got dressed in something other than his white dress shirt and slacks, a thick wool sweater and a pair of leather pants replacing the ensemble. For a finishing touch he added a bit of crimson makeup under his eyes, bringing out the color of his eyelights. 

He was just slipping on his leather jacket when the sound of a revving engine came from outside, Edge shaking his head as he stepped out, locking the door behind him.

“You ready to GET FUCKED!!” Undyne cackled, Edge sighing as he climbed on the back of her motorcycle, ready indeed to “get fucked up” for one night.


	3. A Lil Anxious Energy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wooo next chapter!! these are coming a lot faster because WRITING MARATHON and im no longer sticking to 1000 word chapters lol
> 
> enjoy!

He was sleeping, heavy and deep when his phone started going off. Annoyed, Stretch smacked out at his phone, sending it flying across the room. The ringing went on until it finally stopped, blissful silence filling the room once more… until it began going off again. Flustered, Stretch stumbled out of his bed, desperate to stop the noise as he crawled over to the phone and hit the talk button.

“What??!!”

“Brother, would it be so bad for you to answer the phone without screaming into it?” Blue asked, voice calm. Stretch knew that voice, the voice that meant he’d be making dinner for himself the next few nights in penance. He’d better kiss ass or it’d be worse.   
“Sorry bro, didn’t know it was you…” he answered, only for Blue to scoff.

“It doesn’t matter that it was me! Don’t answer the phone by screaming!” he said simply. Stretch sighed, but mumbled an affirmative, Blue humming, pleased.

“I need you to go to the store today, if you think you can, and get a few things, I’ll send you a text.” It wasn’t often Blue asked him to leave the house to do things, but apparently this was one of those times. It was a good thing Stretch hadn’t been sleeping so deeply as to be dreaming, he’d never be awake enough to make a trip like that.

Stretch groaned, but grunted a “Sure bro.” 

And now here he was, in the store with a basket on one arm and his phone in his hand, trying to puzzle out just which ingredients Blue preferred. It should have been simple, but a few of the items Stretch was sure about were sold out, meaning he had to take pictures of each thing and ask if it would be a good enough substitute. 

That was how it had gone, at least, until he came around to the corner of an aisle and caught the name of the store he’d randomly chosen. 

The name caught him by the throat, his breathing quickening as he glanced around, scared he’d catch sight of a tall, scarred up skeleton with eyelights that saw into his soul and a mouth that tore at his most vulnerable thoughts. 

It was ridiculous but he nearly dropped the basket as a worker came up and asked if he was alright, Stretch waving them off with a tremulous smile before he hurried through the rest of the shopping, paying through the self checkout and stepping into the sunlight with a deep breath in before taking a shortcut home.

Blue was in the kitchen, preparing a lunch for the two of them, only for Stretch to bust in with tears in his eyes. Blue only opened his arms, Stretch diving into them as the tears began to fall.

Blue asked, after, what had set him off, and Stretch couldn’t think of how to explain it for the life of him. He simply said “Went to Edge’s store by accident.” and left it at that.

“Oh.” Blue had said, tone tense. Stretch didn’t know what Blue thought of Edge after… everything, but he knew things weren’t as friendly between them anymore. “Was he there?”

Stretch shook his head, and after a few more moments of quiet he stood, helping his brother finish up the lunch and sitting with him as they ate it, the dulcet tones of Master Chef filling the silence.

By the time it was over, Stretch had almost stopped shaking, the guilt in the back of his mind almost completely pushed back into the locked box he kept it in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> things are not as they seem


	4. Baking Bread

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooooo next chapter!! 
> 
> Chapters are gonna be shorter. But hopefully just as good to read XD
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> (Warnings for possible abuse between mentioned for random humans, and general anxiety and panicky stuff)

The steady thudding of his shoes against the pavement was an excellent way to clear his mind, one of the best he’d found. Edge had taken up running on hard days, days he didn’t work and the LV whispered in his ears, days like today. 

It was a simple way to get out and work off some of the excess energy he retained through the day, a way to let his mind blank out and only focus on the pad of sneakers against the concrete and which way he needed to turn next.

The park a few blocks away was large and out of the way, the playground situated in the front while the trails and pathways led farther back into the trees. He followed the main path all the way down to the river, following along its banks as the soothing sound of bubbling water carried him through the first bout of panic.

He’d hadn’t been on this trail since before… before the incident. Being on it now was bringing up bad memories, but he was doing his best to ignore them and get his LV riddled mind to calm down. 

He wasn’t super successful. 

Nothing snapped though, not until he reached the far end of the park, where there were benches and picnic tables just waiting to be used by wayward families and smiling couples. Couples sort of like the one sitting at the table just up from where he was running, the two of them apparently angry about something. Edge wasn’t close enough to hear what it was they were arguing about, but the female seemingly had enough by the time he was closer, standing and grabbing the male’s arm and leading him away. 

Edge grit his teeth at the sight, the obvious discomfort on the male’s face, and the pure unbridled anger on his mate’s. It reminded him too much of times long since passed, way too much.

So he left the park, LV still singing in his heart, and went home to stress cook.

Undyne called while he was in the middle of pounding what would become a loaf of bread into the counter with his fists, her rough voice laughing as she asked him just what had set him off.

“Absolutely nothing that’s your business.” He answered heatedly, shoving the dough into a sprayed pan. 

“Yeah, sounds like it, asshole.” She spat back, before the silence turned a bit uncomfortable.

Finally, Edge had had enough. “Was there anything you actually needed or were you just wanting to call and bug me?” 

There was a scoff, but Undyne’s voice was filled with an almost hidden concern. “Have you thought about, y’know. Seein’ someone?”

Edge blinked. “What, like your lizard? No thank you.”

Undyne growled, but continued. “No, dickwad, like a therapist. They recommended it when we got up here and I’ve been seeing mine for a few months… it helps a lot.” 

Edge swallowed, the discomfort more than a little distracting now. “I’ll give it some consideration. I’ve got to go.”

“Yeah, yeah asshole. Just actually think about it for me, alright? We’re not down there anymore. We don’t gotta hurt.”

Edge hung up, more than a little weirded out by the actual caring concern in her voice. Therapy must have really been helping her to mellow out… he wondered if Alphys had been the one to convince her to try it, in the end. 

He would think about it just long enough to decide he wasn’t going to think about it. And went back to baking too much bread.


	5. Stone City

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wooo more of this sad sack of a fic!!
> 
> enjoy lol

There was a loud crash accompanied by a loud curse, and the only reason Stretch wasn’t all that worried was because a charred blue hand reached out from under the machine the two of them were building, asking for a wrench.

He huffed a laugh, handing it over as he sat back on his haunches. “What did you ask? I couldn’t hear you over the expletives.”

Undyne growled, rolling out just enough to give him a glare. “I asked, asshole, if you and that uptight soldier dude were still a thing.”

Stretch stiffened, watching as she rolled back under the machine to continue wiring the underneath. He could tell her the truth, that they’d broken up a good few months ago, but then she’d wonder why, and there would be uncomfortable questions that he didn’t really want to answer.

Still, if he lied, she knew him well enough to know it, so it was better just to get it out of the way and let her make her own conclusions.

“We broke up.” Nothing wrong with a half truth, in his opinion. Undyne clearly didn’t agree, seeing as how she began fully climbing out, wiping her hands on her lab coat as she side eyed him, taking a long gulp of water. 

“Okay, gimme the deets. Was he abusive?”

“No???” That was the one thing that Stretch was sure about. Edge wasn’t abusive, not in any sense. The whole issue was that… “He was just an asshole. It didn’t work out.”

Undyne’s brow raised over her good eye. “Okay, so are you? I don’t see how dumbass squared didn’t work out.” She was smirking, but Stretch was pretty much done with the entire conversation.

“Yeah, well, it didn’t work out since he was an asshole for no reason and wouldn’t even touch me in public or let me kiss him, or hold hands, or anything! It was like being in a relationship with a cactus!”

Undyne was staring at him, eye fixed on his face as she seemed to try to find something she wasn’t sure she’d be able to find. 

“Y’know? Just maybe? He wasn’t the issue.” And with that she turned on foot and stalked out of the room, door slamming shut behind her. Stretch stared at the door for a long moment, mouth hanging open before it too shut with a click and he took a shortcut back home.

Blue was in the living room with a bowl of popcorn that looked like it had chocolate chips in it, the newest Jordan Peele movie playing on the TV. Blue glanced up when he came in, then did a double take and paused his movie, leaning back to give his brother a accessing stare.

“So what happened?”

Stretch stood against the wall, angrily glaring at the TV screen. “Undyne said it was my fault Edge broke up with me.”

Blue sighed, rubbing both hands over his face, before sitting up and turning back on his movie. There was no other conversation than what was being said on screen, Stretch giving his brother a look of disbelief before he finally grumbled a “Fuck it then.” and stormed upstairs. 

His room was similar to how it always looked; trashy and that was the way he liked it. No one was going to deny him what he enjoyed, and having shit spread across any open surfaces was what he wanted.

Flopping on his bed, Stretch continued grumbling to himself, scrolling through social media until that got boring enough that he let his phone drop to the bed.

He wanted to sleep, let the whole damn day just slide off like a bad memory, but it eluded him, letting him stew in the whirlwind of his own thoughts. 

Poetic, and not helping. 

Turning over to face the wall, he grimaced as something crunched and crinkled underneath him, his wandering hand searching until it came across a slip of paper.

He stared at the words written on it for a few minutes, before sighing and picking his phone back up. Dialing in the numbers, he waited, listening to the dial tone as he wondered what the hell he was even going to say.

“Hello, Stone City Counseling Center, how may I help you today?”

“Yeah I’m Papyrus Serif. I need to make an appointment.”


	6. Hot Cocoa and a Peanut Butter Sandwich

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey look, more of this fic XDD
> 
> idk guys im tired and sore cause i fucked up my back and my meds so if this sucks thats why lol
> 
> anyways, i hope you enjoy either way ^^

Edge had been dealing with his emotions in what he considered a damn good manner. It wasn’t his fault that he and Undyne had gotten kicked out of the bar when Undyne had been the one making passing remarks on his behalf… and he so happened to give her a black eye for her troubles. It may or may not have led to a full on bar brawl, which again, was not his fault.

But the moment he was home, door shut and locked behind him, ice pack to his right shoulder, his phone began to ring. Cursing the heavens, the skies above, and every Angel that might be listening as he caught sight of his brother’s name on the caller ID, Edge bit back the anger in his soul and answered as politely as he knew how.

“What the fuck do you want? It is _2 am in the god damn morning_, and I’ll have you know some of us _sleep_ around this time you fucking heathen.”

There was silence on the other end, Red taking a deep breath and letting it out before answering. “Its not like you ever sleep anyways. I’m comin' over.” 

Edge blinked, before rushing to say that Red didn’t have to, there was no reason to come over at such a late hour, but the next thing he knew he was gripped by the soul and lifted gently, so gently up into the air and over to the couch that Red was suddenly standing next to. Edge huffed, resigned to being manhandled like a rag doll. He’d become accustomed to it, seeing as how Red only did it when he was clearly in a panic or hurt badly enough he was shaking. 

He hadn’t even noticed his bones clacking together, making a rather cacophonous sound with their banging together over and over, and Edge grimaced as Red set him down on the couch.

“So how many people did you pick a fight with this time?” Red asked, giving his shoulder a look over without touching. Edge tried to glare at him, but turning his skull in that direction pulled at his shoulder, leaving him grinding his fangs. Red just remained quiet, waiting with the patience of an older brother, and it wasn’t long before Edge broke.

He explained about his LV acting up, the whispering need for violence slowly turning into a roar that he was hard pressed to ignore. He explained his nights out with Undyne, his slowly growing agitation at school with the children, and his stress baking that had turned more into food burning, which made him feel worse because he was wasting food. 

Red listened to all of it, expression remaining unchanged even as Edge finished, shakily wiping a tear from his socket. 

“C’n I touch ya right now, bro?” Red asked, gentle as the night air, and it was all Edge could not not to snap out at him.

“No. Not… not right now, please don’t.”

Red nodded, before getting up from his perch on the couch beside Edge and walking over to the living room closet, grabbing a thick blanket from inside and wrapping it lightly over Edge’s shoulders. Then, he stood as close as he dared before Edge began to lean back, pointing a single digit at him.

“I’m gonna make ya some cocoa, and somethin’ to eat. And you will eat and drink every bite or so fuckin’ help me. Go it?”

Edge nodded, too tired to really put up much of a fight over it, and Red grunted, pleased, before he disappeared into the kitchen. Edge listened to the mundane sounds of pots clinking, water filling them before they were put on the stove with a quiet click. The fire turned on, then the sounds of Red rummaging around the fridge started up and it wasn’t long before Edge was slumping over, over and over until he was laying on the couch, sockets slipping shut as he gave in to the safe feelings of having family near, the feeling enhanced by the care and affection Red was putting into his cooking.

Soon enough he was asleep, and Red was watching him, sipping at his own cocoa while he waited for Edge to sleep off the effects of the panic he’d been in.

Tapping on his phone, he called out for his brother’s work the next day, citing a mental health day, and grinned as it was granted nearly immediately, apart from a request as to if he was okay enough to work the rest of the week. 

Edge wouldn’t have wanted to miss that much work, but he needed a day to himself. 

And a god damn therapist, but that was a battle Red was slowly but surely winning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and now we see why Edge might have had some issues in the past :)


End file.
